FIM Superbike World Championship Miller Motorsports Park Tooele, Utah May 30, 2008 Provisional Qualifying Results (3.05-mile Outer Course, all on Pirelli tires): 1. Troy Bayliss (Duc 1098 F08), 1:49.394 2. Troy Corser (Yam YZF-R1), 1:49.636 3. Carlos Checa (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:49.732 4. Jakub Smrz (Duc 1098 RS), 1:49.758 5. Michael Fabrizio (Duc 1098 F08), 1:49.872 6. Fonsi Nieto (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:49.895 7. Yukio Kagayama (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:50.135 8. Ruben Xaus (Duc 1098 RS), 1:50.230 9. Ayrton Badovini (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:50.269 10. Noriyuki Haga (Yam YZF-R1), 1:50.349 11. Shuhei Aoyama (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:50.413 12. Makoto Tamada (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:50.439 13. Karl Muggeridge (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:50.481 14. Regis Laconi (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:50.618 15. Max Neukirchner (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:50.929 16. Max Biaggi (Duc 1098 RS), 1:51.077 17. Kenan Sofuoglu (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:51.229 18. Sebastien Gimbert (Yam YZF-R1), 1:51.318 19. Lorenzo Lanzi (Duc 1098 RS), 1:51.353 20. Shinya Nakatomi (Yam YZF-R1), 1:51.386 21. Russel Holland (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:51.399 22. Gregorio Lavilla (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:51.418 23. Ryuichi Kiyonari (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:51.637 24. Jason Pridmore (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:52.025 25. Vittorio Iannuzzo (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:52.300 26. David Checa (Yam YZF-R1), 1:52.490 27. Loic Napoleone (Yam YZF-R1), 1:53.224 28. Roberto Rolfo (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:53.804 29. Scott Jensen (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:53.939 More, from a press release issued by Miller Motorsports Park: Bayliss Tops the Time Sheets in First Qualifying At Miller Motorsports Park TOOELE VALLEY, UTAH (May 29, 2008) Two-time Superbike World Champion Troy Bayliss set the pace as the HANNspree Superbike World Championship riders got their first taste Miller Motorsports Park in the first practice and qualifying sessions for the StriVectin-SD USA Round on Friday. Bayliss (Ducati Xerox Team) was fastest in both HANNspree Superbike World Championship sessions on Friday. He lapped the 3.048-mile Outer Course in 1:49.394 on his No. 21 Xerox-sponsored Ducati 1098 F08 in the day’s final session, edging the No. 11 Yamaha YZF-R1 of fellow Australian Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) by 0.242 sec. Spaniard Carlos Checa (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) was third-fastest on his No. 7 Honda CBR1000RR, a further 0.096 sec. in arrears. Ducati riders Jakub Smrz (Guandalini Racing by Grifo’s) and Bayliss’ teammate Michel Fabrizio completed the top five, followed by Team Suzuki Alstare teammate Fonsi Nieto and Yukio Kagayama, Ducati-mounted Ruben Xaus, Ayrton Badovini (Kawasaki) and Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha). The top 10 riders were separated by .0955 sec. There will one more qualifying session for the HANNspree Superbike World Championship riders prior to the Superpole session, in which the top 10 riders will take to the track one at a time to determine the starting grid, at 4:00 pm on Saturday. In AMA action today, Erion Honda Racing’s Jake Zemke stamped his name in the record books as the Formula Xtreme Championship’s winningest rider by leading today’s race from start to finish,. Breezing to his 16th victory in this class, Zemke topped teammate Josh Hayes, the defending series champion and 10-time class winner, by 2.678 seconds after nine laps around the 4.5-mile Full Course. Attack Kawasaki rider Steve Rapp filled out the podium. With his fourth consecutive victory, Zemke leads the 11-race championship by 26 points over Rapp, with LeoVince Foremost Insurance Ducati Team rider Larry Pegram five points back and Hayes moving up to fourth, 47 points adrift of his teammate. In the AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited, defending champion Ben Spies took the provisional pole with a 2:45.568 run, topping fellow Rockstar Makita Suzuki rider Mat Mladin and Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing rider Jamie Hacking. Final AMA Superbike qualifying will take place on Saturday at 9:30 am, with the first of two races taking the green flag at 12:45 pm. Riding a two-race streak of pole positions and race wins in AMA Superstock Series presented by Dynojet competition, Corona Honda Racing’s Jake Holden took another pole, fending off Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki rider and series points leader Aaron Yates with a 2:47.639-second lap. Yates’ teammate Geoff May and M4 EMGO Suzuki’s Blake Young fill the front row for tomorrow afternoon’s race s scheduled for 1:55 pm. Off the track, Miller Motorsports Park helped the Federation International De Motocyclisme (FIM), the international sporting body for motorcycle racing, celebrate World Environment Day with a ceremony at the facility’s new Adminisrtation Building. Top riders Corser, Checa and Max Neukirchner joined officials from the FIM, FGSport (which owns and operates the HANNspree Superbike World Championship) and Miller Motorsports Park to plant six ash trees to commemorate the occasion. The HANNspree Superbike World Championship® StriVectin-SD® USA Round and Honda Summit of Speed AMA Superbike Championship weekend is the biggest event ever staged at Miller Motorsports Park, and may well be the biggest international sporting event in the State of Utah since the 2002 Winter Olympics. The Superbike World Championship races will be broadcast live on 95 television networks to 173 countries and an estimated television audience of 120 million. Advance ticket sales have exceeded any other event in the track’s history. In addition to the on-track action, the weekend includes a myriad of off-track entertainment for fans including stunt bikes, freestyle motocross exhibitions, live bands, helicopter rides and sky diving. For more information on the HANNspree Superbike World Championship, visit the series website at www.WorldSBK.com. For more information on the AMA Superbike Championship, visit their website at www.AMASuperbike.com. For event or facility information, or to purchase tickets, call (435) 277-RACE (7223) or visit www.MillerMotorsportsPark.com. More, from a press release issued by HANNspree Ten Kate Honda: Checa on provisional front row at Miller Motorsports Park HANNspree Ten Kate Honda rider Carlos Checa concluded a strong opening day at the 6th round of the World Superbike Championship at the Miller Motorsports Park and claimed a provisional front row start. Checa was the first rider to dip under the 1’50 minute mark and topped the sheets for a while before concluding the session with a third best time of 1’49.732. Both Sofuoglu and Kiyonari spent most of the 45 minute long session finding the right set up for their bikes, but struggled to improve their lap times and finished the first qualifying session in 17th and 23rd position respectively. Carlos Checa, 1’49.732, 3rd; “The track is ok and the tires are working well. We just did the normal things we test when we arrive on a new track for the first time.” “I understand the grip level of the tire and which ones work better, set up the balance for the bike. There are some difficult parts in the track – we’ll have to concentrate on those areas to set a good result in tomorrow’s qualifying.” “Everything looks positive considering this is our first outing on the track. We have been consistent and I am satisfied with the results set today. Hopefully we can make one step in front tomorrow and improve the results.” Ryuichi Kiyonari, 1’51.637, 23rd; “It took me some time today to adapt to the bike again as I have been testing the HRC bike last week.” “I have tried several different tires today and made my choice for the tire I will be using tomorrow. We pretty much have been using the same setting we have used throughout the last races.” “I still need to improve my corner entry speed and I still make some mistakes on the corner combinations. Specially the ones with the double apex. I will have to watch some more races on this track on DVD tonight to better understand the track.” Kenan Sofuoglu, 1’51.229, 17th; “I cant say I am happy with the results I set today. We’ve tried a completely different set up for the bike here and I made my choice for the bike we will be developing further in tomorrow’s qualifying.” “At the moment I am fighting to qualify for the Superpole tomorrow. I am not happy to say this, but at the moment that is my goal. I need to get some experience in the Superpole qualifying.” More, from a press release issued by Team Alstare Suzuki: Team Suzuki Alstare riders Fonsi Nieto, Yukio Kagayama together with Team Alstare Suzuki rider Max Neukirchner used the first day of practice and qualifying at the Miller Motorsports Park to learn their way round the track and get used to racing at high altitude. The 4.907 kilometre circuit is about 1500 metres above sea level and all the bikes are suffering a drop in performance as a result. At the end of the day, Fonsi had qualified sixth, Yukio seventh and Max fifteenth. Series leader Troy Bayliss (Ducati) is on provisional pole, ahead of fellow countryman Troy Corser (Yamaha), with Carlos Checa (Honda) third and Jake Smrz (Ducati) fourth. Fonsi – 6th, 1:49.895 I’m happy with today, even though we had some problems with my my favourite bike and that caused us to lose some time. I like this track – it’s not difficult to learn and it’s safe, but it is difficult to shave off that last fraction of a second when you are trying to go faster. I think the high altitude is affecting the bike, but it’s the same for everybody, so we just have to get down to it. Yukio – 7th, 1:50.135 It’s a very big, wide track, so it’s a bit difficult to find a good line at the moment. In the afternoon, I began to find it a bit more easy and it’s just a case of putting in many, many laps and learning this circuit as fast as I can. I think the grip level is quite good and although the high altitude is affecting the bike, I have finished the day in a positive mood. Max -15th, 1:50.929 I’m a little angry because I’m finding this track difficult – especially in the first split where I know I’m losing time. The second and third splits are not too bad, it’s just the first one where I’m suffering and I think this is because of some chassis problems. We changed the bike from the morning session to the afternoon qualifying and I think maybe we went the wrong way, so tomorrow we’ll change it more back to where we started from and work from there. The altitude doesn’t seem to affect the top speed so much, but I feel it is affecting the acceleration out of the corners. We have some work to do tomorrow, but I’m sure my team will manage it OK. More, from a press release issued by Xerox Ducati: THE DUCATI XEROX TEAM MAKES A CONVINCING START AT MILLER, WITH BAYLISS ON PROVISIONAL POLE Miller – Salt Lake City (USA) Friday 30th May: the Ducati Xerox Team rode the Miller Motorsports track in Salt Lake City for the first time today, completing an impressive first qualifying session in dry conditions here this afternoon. Troy Bayliss quickly found his feet to take the fastest qualifying time and hence another provisional pole, as well as a new lap record, while team-mate Michel Fabrizio was fifth fastest, also recording one of the top speeds of the day. A brand new track for all the World Superbike teams and riders, the Ducati Xerox squad and its’ F08 machines have quickly got up to speed at Miller, and are enjoying the circuit, so they look forward to a weekend of great racing. With a track temperature of 43°C this afternoon, forecasts promise even warmer conditions over the next couple of days. Troy Bayliss 1m49.3s “I’m very happy with how we’ve gone seeing as it’s our first time here. I like the track a lot, it reminds me a little of Qatar and the surface is similar to that of Misano, with a few little bumps and things here and there. The times are already fast, and we hope to go even faster tomorrow. We’ve already made good progress and we already have some ideas with regard to what we’re going to use in the race tyre-wise. The weather is supposed to get hotter and it’s a very physical track so that will definitely make for some great racing!” Michel Fabrizio 1m49.8s “I must admit I’m very satisfied with my performance today. There are a couple of curves where I’m losing a couple of tenths and hope to get those right tomorrow to go even faster, but I can say it’s a really nice track to ride. I feel really comfortable with the bike and everyone seems to be going fast already which makes it good and competitive. Today’s weather conditions were advantageous too so we hope that that continues for tomorrow and Sunday too!” More, from a press release issued by Sterilgarda Go Eleven: At the end of the first day of qualifying at Miller Park (USA), Ruben Xaus and Max Biaggi take respectively the 8th and the 16th provisional positions. Sterilgarda Go Eleven’s riders spent the first day of WSBK sixth round testing the motorbike and trying to get the best feeling on this track, where the Superbike Championship has just made its own debut. Tomorrow the riders of the team leaded by Marco Borciani will aim to improve their times and to get satisfying positions on the starting grid. RUBEN XAUS | Ducati 1098 RS | 8th time in 1’50.230: “At the end of this first day here at Miller Park I can say that I really like the track. I focused my work on finding the right feeling with the circuit and then I spent the rest of the time on the set-up. I have found good settings since the first session of free practice and tomorrow I will have to do a little fine-tune job in order to hunt for a good starting position during the Superople”. MAX BIAGGI | Ducati 1098 RS | 16th time in 1’51.077: “I spent the first day here at Miller Park working on the basic set-up and testing several solutions. Tomorrow we will hunt for a good result thank to the data collected during the first two sessions. The left little finger gives me pain still, therefore I wasn’t able to ride at my best and my performance suffered of that”. More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing: Corser flying on day one Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team rider Troy Corser made a great start to his latest race weekend by posting the second best time of the first official qualifying session at the new SBK venue of Miller Motorsports Park. Corser was one of three WSB riders who went under the previous AMA Superbike lap record, with Troy taking his Yamaha YZF-R1 to a 1’49.636 best. Feeling his way around the 4.905km circuit on his first visit, Noriyuki Haga was still less than a second from provisional pole with a best lap of 1’50.349. Haga was trying out used tyres to make good progress with his overall raceday set-up plan. Fastest rider of all was Troy Bayliss, with Carlos Checa third and Jakub Smrz fourth. The Miller circuit is a high altitude venue, and thus the absolute top end of performance suffers in the thin air. Nonetheless, each Yamaha Motor Italia rider was only a fraction from setting a best top speed of 300kmph. Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha GMT94) enjoyed his first day at the new venue, and has every confidence of improving his opening day 18th place ranking to make it into the top 16 for Superpole on Saturday afternoon. Team YZF Yamaha rider Shinichi Nakatomi went 20th fastest, with Yamaha GMT94 rider David Checa making his return from injury to go 26th, struggling to overcome the tenderness and lack of power in his right leg. Troy Corser (2nd – 1’49.636 – Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) “Not bad for the first day and the layout of the track is quite easy to learn; not too technical. Just the Attitude chicane over the back is the critical one, where you can make or lose some time. The track is very smooth and only has a few bumps. Finding braking markers is the hardest thing so far because there are no real indicators, just bumps or black marks. Some corners even go downhill once you start braking. Because of the altitude we are racing at this weekend the engine feels a bit flat but we knew that would be the case here. The gearing feels pretty perfect but we are really only using second and third gear in the corners.” Noriyuki Haga (10th – 1’50.349 – Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team “So far so good and I have just been finding suspension settings today. We’re not so far away even now. We will try some more settings tomorrow. It’s a nice track, but strange. Some laps I didn’t push but the lap time is good. Then I pushed and the lap time worse. Then I pushed and the lap time was the same. So we just need to find out why that is. There is a lot of grip from the track and the feeling is good with the bike.” Massimo Meregalli (Team Manager, Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) “Troy is happy about everything so far, tyres as well. In fact both riders have already found some good tyre solutions. Noriyuki is still working on bike set-up and checking data but both riders are happy with both the new track and our progress. The engines lose some power here of course, because this track is at altitude, but that’s the same for everyone.” Christophe Guyot (Team Manager Yamaha GMT94 Team) “I am very happy with Sebastien today and we should also be not too bad tomorrow. I am sure he can be in Superpole. With David it is difficult to say because he is still hurting. From Misano he will be 100%.” More, from a press release issued by Team Pedercini: Excellent first day at Miller Park for Team Pedercini. Ayrton Badovini takes the 9th best provisional position after the first timed session of the WSBK sixth round. His performance confirms the big potential of the young rider especially after the good result of the last round at Monza. Ayrton showed to have already reached a good feeling with the track and tomorrow he will hunt for his second seasonal Superpole. On the other hand Vittorio Iannuzzo paid the pain at his hand, especially due to the many flip-flop stretches of the track. The grim rider feels confident to cut his time off tomorrow although entering the Superpole seems now a mission impossible. AYRTON BADOVINI | Kawasaki ZX-10R | 9th time in 1’50.269: “I like this track very very much, and I have been comfortable since the first laps, so the times came without too much efforts. I think to have already found a good set-up, but tomorrow I will have to improve it because all the riders will do the same and I want to fight the battle to enter the Superpole”. VITTORIO IANNUZZO | Kawasaki ZX-10R | 25th time in 1’52.300: “This is not the best track to run on in my conditions. There are many flip-flops where my hand suffers a lot. Anyhow I feel confident to have the opportunity to improve my times and I hope to get a starting position within the fifth row. It would be an excellent result to start from, in order to hunt for points during the two race”.